


Protector of Night

by cyandlne



Category: Tales of Graces
Genre: F/M, HuPasu, Huscal - Freeform, Rained in, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-17
Updated: 2015-02-17
Packaged: 2018-03-13 11:11:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3379364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyandlne/pseuds/cyandlne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pascal is required to stay at the Oswell residence due to a poorly timed visit. Because of  her lack of luggage to support her stay, many crazy antics occur as Huhert struggles to find her clothes and keep her out of trouble. There's an unexpected guest that might just make that harder for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protector of Night

Pascal wasn't intending on staying in the Oswell Manor for 3 days. She didn't really plan it. On a whim, she decided to visit while doing some research on Velanik. Shuddering, she held one arm in the other to shield herself from the cold breeze. Three loud knocks were made on the large brown door. It opened slowly.  
"Miss Pascal! Please, do enter." A maid greeted her.  
"Thank you, miss."  
The maid closed the door slowly behind her. "I will ask Mr. Oswell promptly if he allows you to stay here."  
Huh? Pascal thought. Why would she need permission for a little chat with Hubert? And from Garret no less?  
"A guest...? Did she provide her name...Pascal? Ahh, the researcher! You didn't need to ask. I'm sure Hubert will be thrilled!"  
Pascal sighed of relief. Her ties with Garret had only gotten stronger since they first met.  
"Good news, Miss Pascal!"  
"No need for formalities. I'm just Pascal!" She smiled, which was shyly returned by the maid.  
"Um, alright, Pascal. Mr. Garret has provided you permission to take shelter from the impending hurricane for the next few days."  
"Hurricane?" Pascal slightly cocked her head.  
"Ah, you must not have... But you have a suitcase?" The maid motioned her head toward the small briefcase Pascal held in her hand.  
"This is my research stuff."  
"I see. I'm sure we can find clothes for you to sleep and lounge in."  
"Well, thank you. My apologies for not having the knowledge of this storm. Had I known, I would've stayed home..."  
"What are you talking about?" Garret came in from the other room. "You're always welcome here."  
"Thank you, Mr. Oswell. I was just here for research and figured I'd pop in for a visit. It wasn't in my intention to be stuck in the storm without a place to go."  
"Never the matter! You might make being stuck inside a little bit more interesting for the house. Mi casa es su casa, as they say."  
Footsteps were heard rapidly descending the stairs.  
"Father, the shutters are close-Huh? Pascal?"  
Pascal waved. "Hey, Little Bro! I unknowingly stumbled into a hurricane shelter."  
"So, you'll be...staying?" He approached her slowly, unsure of the state of reality.  
"Geeze, Hu, can't handle all your enthusiasm." She sarcastically retorted. "Well, I guess I'm gonna need a place to stay. Is there I guest room I can use?"  
"Of course. However..." Garret said. "It has many large windows. To ensure your safety..."  
"She can't!" Hubert pleaded. "She shouldn't, and she won't." He glared at his father.  
"Is that any way to be treating a guest, Hubert?" Oswell glared back at his adoptive son, who was flushed. "Hubert's room is the one with the least amount of windows. Although they are large, I feel you'd be safest in there, with him. There's a king sized bed the two of you can share."  
"If Hubert doesn't want to share a room, it's fine. I'm sure I'll be OK in the guest-"Pascal waved her hand, trying to brush it off. Hubert sighed a large sigh of relief.  
"I really can't have you getting injured on the property, what with the liabilities and all."  
"I assure you, I would have no intentions of pressing charges in the case of any injuries. But if it makes you feel better, I'll stay there." Pascal smiled.  
"Great! Hubert, show her where she'll be staying. Supper will be ready soon."  
Hubert incoherently mumbled as he held Pascal's bag and trudged upstairs. The messy engineer followed behind.  
"This is my room." Hubert opened the door. It was a very spacious room, with a door on either side. Two nightstands surrounded the large bed. A desk lay against the back wall, covered in neat stacks of papers, and pen and ink, and a pencil. Along the left wall, a bookcase lined with novels of every shape and hue filled the shelves. The right wall included a dresser, taller than Hubert himself. Two windows were on the back wall, only about 2 feet from the floor and ceiling and 3 feet wide.  
"It's big." Was all she could manage to say.  
"Certainly." Hubert replied.  
"Oh, crap! I left my notebook back at the work site. Is it raining yet?"  
Hubert walked toward the window on the right. "No."  
"Good! I'll be right back!" She threw her suitcase and slid down the banister of the stairs. A large slam was heard from the first level door.  
"Why did she have to stay with me? There's not a chance in Hell that I'll be sharing a bed. It'll be to embarrassing, I just can't." Hubert muttered. He sat on his bed for a little while and thought about possible solutions.  
"Well, she could just sleep on the floor. But then father would yell at me...I could sleep on the floor, but I really don't want to sleep on the floor. What if I..."  
His brainstorming efforts were moot as he could not find a solution to this problem. Downstairs, the door opened and closed again.  
Hubert went down, quickly, but not very quickly. Pascal stood on the indoor door mat, sopping wet with leaves in her hair. She shivered.  
"What happened to you?"  
"Um, well, it started to rain. Luckily I saved the notes!" Pascal reached into the bottom of her shirt and pulled out a spiral bound notebook.  
"Nevermind that. Go take a quick bath and wash up. You're disgusting!" Hubert grabbed a towel and handed it to her so she could dry off.  
"But it's going to storm. Water is a conductor of electricity. I could die!" She joked, taking the towel and scrubbing her soaking hair.  
Garret piped up from the other room. "Well, I simply won't allow that!" He added. Those dumb liabilities. "You can bathe, Pascal. Just have Hubert alert you if it starts to thunder or he sees a flash of lightning."  
"Why me?" He turned to his father, pouting.  
"Because of maids are cooking and preparing us for dinner. In the meantime, lend her some of your clothes while hers are washed."  
Pascal was promptly escorted upstairs into Hubert's bath (the door on the left wall of his room). Twisting the handle to fill the tub with warm water, Pascal shivered as she began to undress. Tossing the clothing down the laundry shoot, she felt the water. The bath filled within about 5 minutes.  
It was incredible.  
"Ahhhhhhhh~" She sighed, sinking into the water. The rain tapped on the window, begging to be let inside.  
Meanwhile, Hubert frantically searched for clothing of his that he wouldn't mind her wearing. It wasn't going to be easy. She would either be overdressed or look too cute for Hubert to handle. Clothes were tossed onto the floor as he rampaged through his bureau.  
Pascal pulled the drain. She had to be fast, so she wasn't even in for ten minutes. Her body temperature had certainly warmed up, and she went over to the towel rack. Nothing. Opened the closet. Nada. She knocked on the door.  
"...Yes?" Hubert turned to the front door, as he had misheard where the knock came from. Pascal hid her currently naked body behind the door so only her head peaked out.  
"Hu?"  
He was startled by her sudden appearance. And became more embarrassed once he realized why the majority of her body was behind the door.  
"Could you grab me a towel? And some clothes?"  
"Ahaha! Yes, clothes, towel, that's what you need, yes, I can do that!" He wanted any excuse to leave. Everything was too much for him.  
Pascal heard his footsteps rush downstairs. She giggled. He reminded her of herself in a way. Maybe it was the urgency to have things done. Maybe it was the compassion underneath the independent exterior. No matter the reason, it still warmed her heart to see herself in such an admirable character.  
"I have a towel..." Hubert said, panting. He shakily handed her the towel, to which her wet hand grabbed quickly.  
"And?"  
"Oh, um, I couldn't find any, pants, that would, uh, fit you, I think. I have a shirt, though."  
"Thank you, Hu. I'll be out in a little bit." And with that, she closed the door.  
Hubert was too flustered to even function at this point. He tried to find her a bottom. Caught off guard, Pascal opened the door slowly.  
What was emitted through that door was too adorable for Hubert to comprehend. Pascal came out in a very small ponytail, in which two hair strands hung from either side of her head. She wore a white Sunscreen Rangers tee, going down to just above her knees. Her legs and feet were bare. She smiled.  
"Guess I'll be without pants for a little while, huh?" Her hands flew to the back of her head. An adorable little habit that Hubert had resented for the mere thought of just how cute it was. She did it all the time, always managing to match it perfectly to whatever she would be feeling.  
"I-I'm sure that the maids will find something for you to wear." At this point, Hubert wasn't even sure whom he was trying to convince that things would turn out fine. He directed his words at Pascal, but they seemed to reflect off of her and bounce right back to him. What would his father think, had she eaten in nothing but underwear and a tee?  
"Master Hubert, Pascal, your meal has been prepared. Please proceed to the dining area at once." The familiar woman called up to them.  
"Thank you..." The words were almost muttered in unison. Pascal's hair flipped as she turned to Hubert. Her curiosity showed on her face to make sure her 'outfit' was appropriate for Garret Oswell. Hubert spoke without words, through his expression. His eyebrows raised and eyes widened. Disgruntled and confused, he was unsure of what may await him in terms of a reaction from his father. His feet pattered quickly down the stairs, followed by Pascal's soft steps. Garret failed to speak once they entered. Pascal took her seat next to Hubert, who was next to his father, who was sitting at the head of the table. The manor owner's lack of speech told Hubert that he was completely fine with it, or not at all. A weight of tension fell on the room.  
Some chit chat took place over dinner, but nothing incredible. Pascal was too busy stuffing her face with the impeccable food prepared by the chefs. Everything was like a dream to her. Rain continued to pound on the windows. A large sigh emitted from Pascal as she finished her meal.  
"My, hungry, aren't we?" Garret joked, trying to break the stiffness of the room into a less-threatening atmosphere. Somehow, it didn't work.  
"Oh, well, I uh, kinda forgot to eat today...plus it was really tasty!" She turned to the head chef. She smiled in response.  
"You must take better care of yourself, Pascal. Tell me, how does one forget the most basic human need?" Garret handed his dishes to a maid, and relaxed his chin in folded hands.  
"Please, father. That's a question you'll never get a good answer to." Hubert rolled his eyes as he handed his plates off as well.  
"I just kinda, get wrapped up in my work I guess. It never really occurs to me to eat." Pascal began to stand and take her dirty silverware to the kitchen, in which another maid stole it from her and took it it. She sat back down.  
"Honestly? That's your excuse?" Hubert glared over at her. Her hands flew to the damned nape of her neck again.  
"Hubert, that's enough. She works hard! Give the girl a break." Garret scolded.  
"It's really fine. I should be eating."  
Pascal covered for Hubert. Thunder rumbled, making her jump.  
"Are you alright?" Hubert's hands went immediately to Pascal's shoulders. She shivered.  
"Just...not really used to storms. The e-enclave has climate control, y'know?" She played it off, but never took his hands off of her shoulders. It brought her a bit of comfort.  
"Well, Hubert's room is likely the least noisy. Shall you retire to your quarters?" Garret stood from his chair and held out a hand toward her.  
"I think I will," She stood up, with Hubert following behind. "Thank you." With those parting words, she went up the stairs quickly. Hubert tried to chase her, but his father grabbed his hand.  
"Wait."  
He turned quickly to face Garret. He smiled.  
"I've never seen you like this, Hubert. I see the way you look at her. It's very cute. But don't forget about Miss Paradine, understand?"  
"U-Understood."  
He trudged up the stairs. Was it honestly so obvious that his father figured it out within a few hours? It couldn't have been. Pascal hasn't noticed for 7 months! Maybe his father possessed a hidden talent, a reader of hearts.  
It felt strange for Hubert to knock on his own bedroom door.  
"Yeah?" A muffled response.  
"May I come in?" He stood outside, apprehensive for the answer, for a reason he could not put his finger on.  
"Dude, it's your room! Come in already." She laughed a little at his manners. They were certainly cute.  
The knob turned slowly, but the door opened swiftly. Pascal lay sprawled on the bed, notebook in front of her. A blanket was on top of her and she was doodling in the book.  
"What are you drawing?" He asked, leaning over her. She closed notebook quickly.  
"Oh no, it's nothing important! It's kinda stupid, really.." Her hand went to the back of her head again, and her face flushed. Hubert smiled.  
"Come on. It can't be that asinine." He reached toward the notebook. She slapped his hand away.  
"It's none of your business, geeez." She glared at him. He backed up. Fumbling her hands, Pascal quickly threw the book under her bed.  
"So what you been up to, Little Bro?" She flopped onto her back as her hair gracefully draped off of the foot of the bed.  
"Oh, I don't know. I have some work to do, so if you could possibly make this a suitable work  
enviorn-" Hubert sat in his desk chair, and the room was enveloped in a canopy of light within seconds. A few seconds later, the thunder clapped so loudly that the house shook.  
"EEEE!" Pascal hid under her blanket completely.  
"I'm going to find my father. Will you be-" Hubert stood quickly, holding a candle in one hand. Pascal poked only her head out of the covers, her hands holding them over it. She looked like a cat at the vet.  
"Come with me. You'll feel better." He reached his other hand toward her. Silently, she took it and stood up, blanket in hand. Her hand shook inside of his.  
"Are you sure you're okay?" He turned back to her as they silently descended the staircase. She nodded.  
"Father? Are you alright?" Hubert called out.  
"Just dandy, Hubert. Come down, please." Retorted his father.  
His walking pace quickened a bit to check on his father. Garret stood near a bucket, with water dripping in from the ceiling. He turned and gave a sarcastic smile from Hubert.  
"Isn't this lovely?" He asked.  
"Certainly. What do you need me to do?"  
"Prepare another bucket. This is about filled."  
"Hubert." Muttered the quiet, blanket -covered girl, surprising the others. She turned to the man she had addressed.  
"Go fetch me some spackling paste and a spatula. Sooner, rather than later."  
"Pascal, please. We'll take care of it. You're our guest!" Garret assured.  
"It's just a simple leak. Fixing things is what I do best." She smiled for the first time in a while. Meanwhile, Hubert came back with the requested tools.  
The whole repair took a small total of 15 minutes. Pascal worked through the thunder and storm. It helped to focus on other things.  
"Thank you, Pascal. You've certainly improved the overall atmosphere of the house since your arrival." Garret shook her hand.  
Three pounds were heard coming from somewhere in the house, making Pascal jump a little bit. She was then reassured it was just the door.  
"I got it." She started off towards the front door.  
"Wait! Be careful, Pascal!" Hubert shouted, in her pursuit. She opened the door slowly, and peeked out. Hubert couldn't see who it was. He heard a quiet voice coming from outside.  
"Dude, there's someone named Raymond." She turned back to the two men.  
Garret sighed. "Let him in."  
"Oh, wait, your Hu's cousin, yeah?" She exclaimed, suddenly aware of who was in front of her.  
He shivered. "Y-Yes. Who m-might you be?"  
"I'm Pascal! Hu's best friend in the whole wide world!"  
"Certainly something you won't let me forget." Hubert rolled his eyes once again.  
"Anyway, come on in! You look cold. Hu, fetch him some other clothes, he's soaked!" Hubert turned back to the steps, mumbling. Pascal held Raymond's cold hands in hers and met his gaze intently. "Are you OK?"  
Raymond's cheeks flushed a little. It didn't particularly help that through all of this Pascal still had no pants on. "I'm f-fine, thank you. Just a l-little cold." He looked away and pulled his hands out from under hers.  
"Raymond, there's a guest room upstairs you can use. Go get changed." Garret commanded. He seemed to have no sympathy for his nephew. He trudged along after Hubert, who was in his room.  
"Who's this Pascal girl, Hubert?"  
"Just someone I was with on my journey." He said quietly, praying to change the subject.  
"Oh? Something tells me she's much more than that." Raymond joked.  
Once again, had someone ALREADY figured out this damn puzzle? It's like if Pascal sat in front of two puzzle pieces, one with a groove for the other to fit into. And yet, she still managed to miss how it was done. What was she not picking up on? Still, Hubert could not bring himself to try to tell her again. The embarrassment that came with the last failed attempt was too much for him to deal with.  
"No. She's not. She's my friend, I suppose, but that's about it." He replied sternly.  
"Realllly?" The cousin slowly strode up to his superior. "Are you-"  
Hubert raised his head from being hunched over the drawer. "I'm sure." He turned to his subordinate. "Do I need to have a discussion with the president about your unstable military position? It can certainly change. We wouldn't want someone who couldn't handle the intensity of their occupation, yes?" Hubert usually became more confident when he was getting angry.  
"Like you'd talk to Paradine!" Raymond matched this confidence. "You're so nervous about that dumb marriage proposal you can't even look the man in the eye."  
Hubert grabbed Raymond's wet collar and held him close to his face.  
"You will not talk to me in that tone, or I will personally kick you out of this house. Understood?" His eyes squinted. Raymond nodded silently.  
"You two alright up there?" Garret called from the foyer.  
"Yeah, you guys OK? I don't have to come up there, do I?" Pascal added.  
"Fine." They said in unison. Hubert returned to the foyer as Raymond got changed.  
"...so, yeah. I mean, I just feel like she shouldn't have to if she doesn't want to, y'know? She's old enough to...Oh, hey Hu." Pascal interrupted her conversation with Garret to greet Hubert.  
"Raymond's changing in my room. He'll be down shortly." He said, still infuriated at the words of which his cousin spoke.  
"Ahaha, I haven't seen Raymond much at all since," Hubert's hand flew to his neck and made a motion that said 'stop talking or we're dead.' behind his father. Garret was never told about the little 'incident'. "Since we met him on the way back to that enclave that one time."  
"Y-Yes." Hubert agreed, worried his father might see through his lies. Garret was oblivious.  
"Very well, then. I'm glad we can skip those silly introductions!" He clapped his hands together. Raymond slowly descended the steps, in yellow flannel pajamas.  
"Thank you, Hubert." He said, in an annoyed tone.  
"Of course, Raymond." Was the reply.  
Pascal stretched and put her hands around the boys' necks and pulled them down to her height.  
"It's a night in with the Oswells!" She said excitedly.  
"I suppose so." Garret smiled at her.  
"Yeah, sure." Raymond glared over at Hubert, who did just the same.  
"Mmhmm." Hubert made a noise in agreement.  
"Well," Pascal released the two from her grasp as she stretched again. "I think it's time for me to hit the hay, yeah? Meet you upstairs, Hu." She yawned and went back to his room.  
"I suppose I'll be going to sleep as well. Don't kill each other." Garret glared at his two relatives, who nodded. He then followed the girl upstairs.  
"Raymond, don't do anything funny to Pascal." Hubert said.  
"Don't give me any reason to." Raymond replied snarkily.  
Each had every reason to resent the other, but they were still family. Although they weren't the closest as children, they still were just about the only children. They had to stick together in a world of adults and business. That's why Hubert decided not to mention the fact that Cheria was engaged, to Asbel no less, and why Raymond chose not to discuss the fact that Hubert's betrothal was moving faster than ever.  
"Glad you could see things my way," Hubert started back up the stairs. "Agreed."  
All Raymond could do was smile.  
"K, Ray, we'll see ya in the morning, yeah?" Pascal waved to him across the hallway.  
"Yes. And it's Raymond." He muttered, shutting the door behind him.  
"Guess it's just me and you, Hu." The girl turned back to Hubert, who was standing behind her. His face flushed.  
"I, uh, suppose so." He opened the door slowly. Lightning flashed from the windows. Pascal frowned.  
"Oh yeah. That." Stomach in knots, Pascal slowly made her way to the right side of the bed.  
"Is it cool if I sleep in this?"  
Oh, crap. Sleeping. Hubert let the thought escape his mind, and now it had to be faced. Either he slept on the ground or in a bed. With her. There was no escape from his personal hell.  
"Hu?" One brow raised.  
"Uh, you can sleep in that."  
"Oh, neato! Do you have a pillow I could use?" She stretched again. Her eyes looked dreamily into his. Probably because she was so tired. Probably.  
Hubert had come to a decision. "There's two on the bed. One for each of us."  
"Ok, ok. I don't know man, maybe you like two pillows, you know?" She reached for the pillow on the right side, then stopped.  
"And a blanket?"  
"Is the one on the bed not good enough?" He asked. He felt the flannel sheets on his bed wouldn't be a problem for her.  
"What? But you're using that one. What would I do, just take it off of the bed?" She looked back at him with confusion. He returned the expression.  
"What? No! We'd share it." He returned.  
"Huh? But how would that work? It's not long enough to...oh, do you want me to sleep on the bed?"  
"Uh? Whatever y-you're most comfortable with, I suppose." Once again, he couldn't meet her gaze.  
"I'll sleep on the floor, it's no biggie." She smiled. He almost did too.  
"Are you sure? You can sleep in the bed if you-" Hubert foolishly persisted her. He, in all honesty, was just trying to be polite. However, he did not want a result. She could say, 'Oh, OK!' In that cute way of hers and jump into the bed. Then what would he do? Sleep with her?  
"Nah dude. I need space to stretch my legs. I'd probably kick you off the bed anyway." She threw her pillow on the floor. Then she turned to him and smiled in an adorable way.  
"And we can't have that, can we?"  
"Uh...no. We can't." He looked the other way.

He found her some blankets and she got situated on the floor. "We don't need to tell my father of this."  
"Gotcha." She cutely pretended to zipper her mouth shut.  
"Lights out! I don't want any tomfoolery going on while I'm asleep." Hubert clapped twice to try assert his authority.  
"Kay, Captain!"  
He blew out the final candle, took off his glasses, and laid in his bed. It took about 15 minutes until thunder roared from outside, and he heard Pascal shiver.  
"Pascal?" He called out in a whisper voice. No response. He figured she was just asleep and continued trying to fall asleep himself. Lighting flashed and thunder rolled once more.  
He was getting lost in his own thoughts when he heard a strange noise. It was high pitched, short and frequent.  
"Don't tell me one of the windows broke downstairs..." He whispered to himself. He lit another candle and carried it. As he walked by Pascal, he noticed the noise getting stronger, then weaker. He turned toward her and confirmed she was making the noise. Setting the candle aside onto the bed, he shook her a little bit.  
"Pascal?"  
She coughed a little. Tears streamed down her face.  
"Pascal, why are you crying?" He said quickly, very upset.  
"I..." She couldn't stop.  
"Fine, sleep in the bed with me. You'll feel better." He decided before considering the consequences.  
"No, I don't want to bother..." She continued to cough, grasping at as much breath as she could gather between wails.  
"Pascal, you're coming in that bed with me. No ands, ifs, or buts."  
"Mmm Mmm." She shook her head.  
"Fine. Have it your way." He waited about a minute. It was hard to hear her cry and not be able to help her. He suddenly grabbed her by the waist, and hoisted her up over his shoulder. As expected, she was a twig, and easy to carry.  
"Hey! Lemme-" Pascal argued.  
"No. You're sleeping in that bed because I'm not listening to you cry another minute. It's too painful and I won't have any more of it." He laid her gently on the left side of the bed, grabbed the candle, placed her pillow under her head, and went back into the bed with her. She smelled smoke once the room was no longer illuminated by the candle.  
"Are you scared?" He asked, trying to find the source of her sorrows.  
"Mm hmm." She said. With clammy and cold hands, she grabbed Hubert's hands and placed the, around her waist under the blanket.  
His face turned a brilliant shade of vermillion. Her stomach was soft and warm. It shook in his hands. They both faced the left side of the room.  
"Are you still scared?" He asked once again, trying not to sound completely over whelmed by the whole experience. Pascal said nothing.  
"Then let's talk, to keep your mind off of things." He concluded. She made a noise in agreement.  
"How has Fourier been?"  
"Mmmm" She groaned.  
"Well, it's obvious you don't really want to talk. What should I talk about?"  
"Uhhh..." She pondered for a while. "Tell me a story. About something fun in your childhood."  
"Um, ok. What should I..."  
"Anything you want."  
"Ok, how about when Asbel and I discovered Sophie on Lhant hill?"  
"Mmm mmm." She shook her head. "That one's sad because you get adopted the next day."  
"How about my first day of military school?"  
"But you don't like it there!" Pascal pouted.  
"Well, I'm out of stories." He stated firmly. Everything his life was either sad or embarrassing, one Pascal didn't want to hear, and the other he didn't want Pascal to hear.  
"Then...describe...your perfect date!" She said confidently.  
"Wait, what? Why?" He asked. Was she planning on making mental notes and one day taking him on said perfect date? Or maybe she just needed something to listen to? Either way, he didn't really want to, but he would.  
"Oh, maybe a nice walk in the park going back to the house, and a goodnight hug."  
Pascal flopped over and looked at him.  
"That's too cliché. And so not you. Get in detail, Hu!" Without another word, she flipped back to face the other wall.  
"Ok, ok."  
He started by describing a fake thing, just until she fell into slumber. Then, as she lay still with soft breathing, he described his real dream date.  
"So we start by meeting at the house, to go out to eat at a fancy restaurant. She'd be wearing something gorgeous, just like her. After enjoying a wonderful meal, we'd walk around through the town, splashing water at each other on the beach, because she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty." Hubert indirectly meant Pascal, but at the very, very low risk of her still being awake, he decided not to mention the name.  
"We'd head back to the house, tired and bored. We'd get cozy and play video games together, as a team. Then, when she gets tired, we'll settle in for the night, falling asleep in each other's arms."  
He said, satisfied with the little fantasy he had just created. He looked over at the sleeping figure next to him as he lay on his back. She appeared unconscious, as her breaths were stagnant and short. He turned over to face the opposite direction as her, and slowly drifted into a light sleep. Pascal smiled from the other side of the bed. She had heard everything, and it relaxed her enough to forget about everything around her and focus on one sole thing that meant everything to her;  
Hubert.

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted Pascal to have some sort of hidden fear, but it was hard to think of. She's Pascal, after all. Then it hit me. If the enclave is secluded away inside of a mountain, it's obvious that she isn't very accoustumed to storms. I had my answer.
> 
> Writing for Garret and Raymond has been one of the most fun experiences ever. They aren't given much of a personality in game from what we see, so it was basically a paint-your-own-character kind of thing. I tried to stay as true to thre canon as possible.
> 
> I am sorry this is so dialogue heavy.


End file.
